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Parks and Open Space Parks crews installed irrigation, fencing, and roads at three new gardens-two new community gardens at Alton Baker and Skinner Butte parks and Stream Team's new native plant nursery. Plots are available at the four other community gardens, and a waiting list is available for the new sites. Registration began March 17. Over the past four years, volunteers have helped remove 16 acres of ivy from the ground and nearly all of I the ivy from the trees at Hendricks Park. On March 27, the process continued with another.. work party, and, on March 28, community members relaxed and enjoyed trillium, solomon's seal, magnolias, and rhododendrons on walking tours of the rhododendron and native plant gardens. Two new signs have been installed at Irwin Park. One welcomes visitors to the park; the other lists park rules. The two signs- are prototypes of a design that, once approved, will be used to create signs for all city parks. Wastewater A new gas filtration system for the engine generators is undergoing startup testing. The generators use the methane gas that is produced as a byproduct of the treatment of wastewater solids to generate electricity. The amount of electricity generated supplies more than half of the power needs for the regional wastewater treatment facility, offsetting more than $234,000 annually of electric power. The methane gas contains contaminants however, and these contaminants cause accelerated wear and tear on the engines resulting in more frequent maintenance work and higher maintenance costs. The filter system was adesign-build project by SOLARC Architecture and Engineering and the total project cost is $339,000. The system is a two step process. The first filter consists of iron sponge media to remove corrosive hydrogen sulfide. The second stage consists of an activated carbon media that filters out siloxane, an abrasive silica based compound. The Eugene Fire Department's Technical Rescue Team recently used an empty digester structure at the regional wastewater treatment facility for a training exercise in confined space rescue. Confined spaces are defined under OSHA rules as spaces that are large enough to enter, have limited means for entry and exit, and are not designed for continuous occupancy. The Fire Department has previously used the wastewater facilities to train for various emergency and rescue activities, including in the Final Treatment building for a hazardous chemical release. The Wastewater Division recently passed its fourth external audit of the Division's Environmental Management System (EMS). The EMS is registered as compliant with the IS014001 EMS standard, and external audits are required as part of the registration to check for continued compliance with the standard's requirements. The Division's system is now in its third year of implementation, and the next external audit, to be conducted in September, will be a complete system review and re-registration. On a related issue, the Wastewater Division was one of 39 organizations-and the first municipal wastewater agency in the United States-recently selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for membership to the National Environmental Performance Track Program (NEPTP). The national program recognizes facilities that voluntarily exceed regulatory requirements, implement environmental management systems, work closely with their communities, and set three-year goals to continuously improve environmental performance. The Performance Track program currently has 344 members from 43 states and Puerto Rico. Most of the members are private companies, and each membership lasts for three years during which participants must submit annual performance reports outlining their environmental progress during this time. March 2004 PW Monthly Report 5 ~I